A first look at the Windows 8 Developer Preview

Internet Explorer 10

The Metro Interface transforms your PC display into a Tablet display. Notice there are no title bars, no menus, no typical features of Internet Explorer.

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IE 10 on the Windows 8 desktop

The trick and the one thing every critic of Windows 8 needs to remember, is that you don't have to use the Metro Interface. If you switch to the normal Windows Desktop you get Internet Explorer 10 with all the typical features.

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Twitter

Social media is a big part of our lives now and Microsoft has a few example apps for developers to look at in that area. There is definitely room for improvement for this Twitter client.

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Windows Explorer with ribbon

Windows Explorer will have a ribbon in Windows 8. It is supposed to be completely customizable, but I have not had the chance to try that out yet.

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Apps

A list of applications is still available and searchable, but the list does not flow off of the Start Button anymore - a change of philosophy that will take some getting used to for me.

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Control Options - Windows Update

Access to the Control Panel options are located in several places, but this is what the tile on the Start Page shows you. And, yes, you will still have Windows Update.

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Send to

A new empahsis is placed on the Send To concept -  a Tablet-friendly way to share links, photos, docs, etc.

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Ease of Access

You'll be able to adjust settings to match the device you are using.

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Devices

A list of devices, but I was disappointed that I could not call up setting dialog boxes for them. I'll have to investigate further.

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HomeGroup

There is a renewed empahsis on the HomeGroup concept. Again, this is one way to make tablet devices easier to work with on a network.

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There is a Desktop

Here is the Windows 8 Desktop - looks much like the Windows 7 Desktop.

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Taskbar Properties

There are the expected options for the Desktop Taskbar.

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Taskbar Properties - Jump Lists

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Taskbar Properties - Toolbars

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Software keyboard

Of course, if you are on a tablet you will need a software keyboard. Notice that I also turned all the Taskbar Options shown in a previous image.

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Desktop Options enabled

With the Desktop option turned on, you can get to a list of folders and applications much like from the Windows 7 Start Button. This too will be something of a change in pholiosophy - something we will have to explore in detail.

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Personalization

There will be the usual Personalization features for the Desktop - the interesting prospect is how you will be able to personalize your tiles.

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Windows Store

It's all about the apps - there will be an online store and an ecosystem for Windows 8 - at least that is the plan.

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Sample apps page 1

As part of the Developer's Preview, Microsoft included a set of sample applications written by a group of interns.

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Sample apps page 2

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Piano app

Many of the sample apps are the normal time-wasting example apps like games and this Piano app. I hope the developers can do a little more with Windows 8.

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Draw stuff

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Move the ball through the maze

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I think this is Othello

I could not find the instructions for this game - something the developers need to work on. There must be some command to get to the instructions that I am missing because I am not on a tablet.

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Set your alarm

One practical example app is this minimalist alarm app.

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Chess

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Remote Desktop

A tablet friendly version of Remote Desktop. This app will be very important for some people so it better work well, the demo in they keynote speech showed that there was still some work to do.

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Take notes

Another favorite tablet app is the Note taking application.

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Paper airplanes

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Windows Task Manager

CTRL-ALT-DEL still gives you access to the Task Manager and this is where we can see the real change of philosophy in Windows 8. All of the apps that I loaded from Start Page tiles are loaded and waiting for me, just like they would be on a Tablet. It doesn't show it here, but after a time all of the apps went into suspended mode. But they would pop right up if I click their tile again - right at the point I left them.

This is a big change of practice for many Windows-users. That behavior makes since for tablets, but the question is whether this idea will be embraced for Desktop and notebook PCs?

Only time will tell, but finding out should be very interesting.

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